1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing lures and, more particularly, to a fishing lure with built-in means for adjusting the running depth of the lure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing lures are well known in the art. Such lures can imitate the shape of minnows or other small fish. Some of these lures include means for adjusting the depth at which the lure operates. Traditionally, weights and the like have been attached to lures in an attempt to position them at a depth most conducive to catching fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,191, issued to Spivey, teaches a fishing lure with adjustable buoyancy control. Spivey has a hollow portion open to the bottom of the lure and includes a weight that is shifted by the user to make the lure a floating or a diving lure. The lip portion of Spivey is adjusted to control the depth of the dive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,754, issued to Lawlor, teaches a fish lure with a body divided into front and rear hollow sections. The front and rear sections are separated by a disk element. The front section can be ballasted by adding water between the disk and the front wall. The other or both sections may receive inserts to attract game fish.
The shortcoming of the prior art patents is that they do not teach an effective means for adjusting the running depth of the fishing lure which is self-contained within the lure body and which does not require disassembly of the lure to alter the adjustment.